


Norman's Turbulent Love Life

by insanechayne



Category: Actor RPF, The Boondock Saints RPF, Walking Dead RPF
Genre: Love Triangle, M/M, OT3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-27
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-12-16 08:10:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insanechayne/pseuds/insanechayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Norman loves both Sean and Andrew, but which man is better for him? And who will he choose, in the end?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Whiskey Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [monica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monica/gifts).



> Hello fans of mine. I have here a new fic for you all to get sucked into and enjoy. If you were reading my Dick fic, then you know that I have been talking about starting this for a little while now. This is just the first chapter, and though it might seem a bit cheesy or silly right now I swear it will get better. This was more of a tester/intro to the rest of the story, so please don't judge the whole fic based on just this chapter.  
> There will be no surprise deaths or anything in this story, either, I promise. Just comedy and romance and fluff and love (and maybe a bit of smut if I'm feeling up to it).  
> So sit back, relax, and enjoy the story.
> 
> This is a work of fiction, with no relation to the actors, shows, movies, or places mentioned herein. The names of the actors, and the mentions of shows, movies, and places is used without permission, but only with the purpose of entertainment in mind. Please don't sue me.

When Sean got drunk off Guinness he slipped into the Irish brogue he’d used to portray Connor MacManus. When Sean got drunk off Jameson he had a tendency to call Norman ‘Murphy.’ Norman didn’t mind that, not really; it was just how Sean was, and Norman enjoyed the man’s little quirks. Besides, it was kind of fun to have Sean refer to him as the other half of the badass twin duo; it made him feel cooler, like he could take on the world, even though in reality it was always Sean who stepped up to protect him.

Norman had recently been signed on to play Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead, and decided to go all the way across country to visit his best friend, and lover, to share the good news and celebrate before flying out to Georgia. The two quickly hit the bars to get as liquored up as possible, because what was a celebration without alcohol?

“Y’know, Murph, you’ve got some mighty nice eyes. Love lookin’ at those eyes. So deep, like the sea.” Sean grinned, downing another shot of whiskey, his eyes locked on Norman’s the entire time.

Thankfully the bar was dim, so that Sean wouldn’t see him blush. It was rare for Sean to give any kind of compliment, not because he didn’t think that Norman was beautiful, but just because he preferred to put his thoughts and feelings into actions rather than words. Norman reveled in this sudden attention, his heart hammering in his chest.

Norman reached out and inconspicuously gave Sean’s hand an affectionate squeeze, not wanting to alert anyone here to their secret love affair. Sean laced their fingers together, bringing their hands to his lips, and kissed each of Norman’s knuckles softly, causing Norman to blush even brighter; Sober Sean had been the one to suggest that they keep their feelings on the down-low, because he didn’t really want to be splayed all over the tabloids, but Drunk Sean didn’t seem to care about how is other half felt. Drunk Sean began kissing his way up Norman’s arm, giving a soft bite every now and again.

Norman giggled, his face feeling too warm, and tried to pull away from Sean’s grasp. He wanted very much to let his love continue, wanted to just let Sean carry him away on a wave of pleasure, but this was neither the time nor the place for such a tidal wave to occur. Norman gently pushed Sean away, not wanting to hurt his feelings, and pulled the empty shot glass from between the man’s fingers.

“I think you’ve had quite enough, Connor.” Norman knew by now that it was better to play along with Sean’s drunken delusions, and just let him pretend to be his favorite character, rather than try to bring him back to reality. At least the Irish accent wasn’t necessary on Norman’s part; he had never mastered it in the first place.

“Just one more, Murph?” Sean looked up at Norman with puppy eyes that were already glazed over from how much alcohol he’d consumed.

Norman sighed, nodding in reluctance; he never could say no to that face.

Sean smiled widely and clapped his hands, bearing all the countenance of a child, and practically inhaled the new round that was sent his way. After that he let Norman drag him away from the bar, out the door, and into a taxi. Of course, they ended up back at Sean’s apartment, between the sheets, continuing the party.

It was two in the morning by the time they were finally settled down beside each other, Sean cuddling into Norman for a change. Norman had his arm slung around Sean’s shoulders, lazily brushing his fingers over the man’s soft skin, and occasionally through that fluffy brown hair he loved so much to toy with.

“Murphy,” Sean murmured, his eyes closed. The words ghosted from his lips, taking on an almost dreamlike quality.

Sean would sometimes mumble in his sleep, though it was mostly incomprehensible nonsense in the form of garbled words and sounds, and Norman rarely paid attention to it while they were together. This seemed different, though, as if Sean had been deliberately trying to get Norman’s attention.

“Love ye, Murphy. More than me own life. Don’t know what I’d do without ye.” Sean whispered these somewhat eloquent lines into Norman’s skin, and they seemed to tingle on his flesh.

In that moment Norman couldn’t think of a more perfect way to spend an evening. Sure, Sean was drunk off his ass and would be passed out in another minute or so, but just hearing that Sean loved him, that Sean wanted him in any sense, was enough for Norman to fall asleep with a smile on his face.


	2. Land Of Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seems a bit choppy or not well-put-together. I was having trouble getting into the flow of things at first, but I think I ended it on a good note.  
> Enjoy.

Norman had planned to spend his night in L.A at Sean’s apartment, and so his lone suitcase and his kitty carrier already stood by the door, waiting for the departure. His flight left at one, and it was already eleven-thirty.

“Here, Eye In The Dark. Here, kitty.” Norman clapped softly, checking under the bed and in the closet for his cat, who was nowhere to be found. “Sean, you don’t think he ran out, do you?”

The twinge of worry that colored Norman’s tone made Sean look up from the sink full of water where he’d been splashing the sleep from his face. Sean’s slightly bloodshot eyes wandered to Norman’s taut figure crouching beside his bed and looking under the frame for about the fifth time.

Sean didn’t particularly like Norman’s cat, mostly because it liked to use him as a scratching post whenever they were in the same room together. Norman was lucky Sean loved him so much, or he might have skinned that thing a while ago.

“No place for it to get out of ‘round here.” Sean mumbled, slowly making his way out of the bathroom to join Norman. “He’s probably in the kitchen eating Donut’s food or something; wouldn’t be the first time.”

Sean wandered away, leaving Norman to search the closet one more time.  Sure enough, Eye In The Dark was in the kitchen, resting comfortably on the countertop and licking his paws.

“Damn cat. You’re practically giving Norman a heart attack in there.” Sean scooped the cat up, wrapping one arm securely around its middle, and earned a small scratch on his hand in the process.

Norman met Sean in the hallway, a wide smile breaking onto his face as he saw his cat, safe and sound, tucked under Sean’s arm. Norman took the animal from his love, pausing to kiss Sean softly on the lips, before putting Eye In The Dark in his kitty carrier.

“Thanks for such a nice night, babe. It was a great way to celebrate.” Norman cupped Sean’s chin, lightly stroking the man’s smooth cheek with his thumb.

“Don’t mention it, buddy. I’m always up for a party with my best man.” Sean smirked and leaned forward, placing a very passionate kiss on Norman’s lips.

Norman chuckled as he pulled away, grabbing his luggage and swiftly slipping out the front door, leaving Sean in his wake.

~ ~ ~

Norman wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, the hot Georgia sun beating down on him, along with the rest of the cast members he stood beside. It had only been a day since he landed in Atlanta, and already they were making him earn his keep by putting in a full day on set. To be honest, he didn’t mind, since he loved being on a new project in a new role, but he did wish it was at least ten degrees cooler down there.

Norman was standing with Andrew, the two of them shifting their feet in semi-uncomfortable silence as they watched Jon film the scene in which he beats Ed’s character into the ground. The cameras would roll long enough for Jon to land one more fake punch, and then Greg Nicotero would burst onto the set and touch up a bit of Ed’s character’s makeup, and add some fake blood to the rocks. The whole process was actually quite fascinating, or it would be if the view that stood on Norman’s left side weren’t much more eye-catching.

Andrew was clean-shaven, his dark hair cropped short yet still remaining bouncy and fluffy in the occasionally blowing breeze. He wore Rick’s sheriff’s costume, and the fabric hugged his toned body in the exact right angles to make Norman’s mouth go dry. He was trying so hard not to stare at the man next to him, but he couldn’t help his eyes from wandering in that direction. With any luck Andrew wouldn’t notice.

No sooner had Norman let that wish slip away then he turned slightly, his eyes meeting Andrew’s piercing blue ones. Norman blushed instantly, giving him a sheepish smile. Andrew smiled back, his face lighting up even brighter than the beating sun, and Norman had to look away quickly before he did something stupid.

Norman’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he eagerly pulled it out, thankful for the distraction. His smile turned genuine when he saw that it was Sean texting him.

 _Dude a redhead with the sweetest pair of tits just walked by. How long you think it’ll take me to hit that?_ Sean had messaged him, and automatically his face fell.

Norman turned and swiftly walked in the direction of his trailer, hoping to get there before the tears started falling. He shouldn’t feel so torn up over Sean chasing skirts. They weren’t an official couple, they never had been, and it’s not like was the first time Sean had told him about some girl or another he thought was attractive. So why was this time so different?

It was because the night before Sean had said he’d loved Norman. But maybe that didn’t really mean anything; Sean had been drunk and calling him ‘Murphy’ after all. But still, why would he say it if he didn’t mean it? Did this mean that Norman wasn’t good enough for Sean? Or that Sean didn’t really want to be steady with Norman? No matter what it meant, it hurt like hell.

Norman burst into his trailer, unceremoniously plopping down in the swivel chair in front of the dressing room style mirror. He dropped his phone on the counter, ignoring the buzzing of another text coming in, and looked his reflection straight in the eye.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that he was nothing special. The best thing about him were those eyes, but he wasn’t as attractive as Sean would be able to catch. Sean could have anyone he wanted, and though the fact that Sean frequently chose him should have made Norman happy, it just made him feel like Sean was taking pity on him. And now he felt like he wasn’t as good to Sean as a pair of tits was, and that thought stabbed him straight through the heart.

Norman sat there for who knew how long, simply staring at his reflection and picking his every flaw apart, when a knock on his trailer door broke him from his reverie.

He took a moment to steady his voice, making sure he would be able to speak properly before saying, “Come in.”

Surprisingly enough, Andrew’s head poked through the entryway. “The director wrapped up shooting for the day, so I was wondering if maybe you’d, uh… want to come grab a drink with me?” Now it was Andrew’s turn to smile sheepishly, trying his hardest to make his request sound like just a drink between bros rather than what he truly wanted it to be: a date.

Norman’s eyes widened slightly in his shock. He never would have expected this from Andrew, such a clean-cut, seemingly straight man. His eyes traveled down to his phone for a moment, Sean’s text resounding in his head, then met Andrew’s eyes once more.

With a grin that took Andrew’s breath away, Norman said, “Sure, I’d love to.”


	3. Without You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter may or may not make sense, but just so everyone knows my reasoning behind it was to parallel how Sean and Norman are acting without the other beside them. So I just wanted to put that out there.  
> This chapter was also longer than I expected, which I'm quite happy about.   
> I'm pleased with how this came out, and I hope all of you are, as well.  
> Enjoy.

It had been several hours since Sean had sent his lewd text, and there was still no response from Norman. Sean knew it was probably nothing to worry about, considering the fact that Norman was working on a job now, and there had been plenty of times when he didn’t reply to a text for various reasons; this time seemed different for some reason, though, and Sean couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, looking over at Donut, who was curled up on one end of the couch. “He’s probably just busy on set, right, Donut?”

The dog lolled its sleepy eyes towards him and licked its nose in response. Sean had to laugh at the expression on the dog’s face, and ruffled the fur at the top of its head. But still the worry gnawed at him; what if Norman was upset about what he’d said?

~ ~ ~

“So how does it feel to play the lead?” Norman asked Andrew, looking at him over the dimly lit tabletop of the dive bar they sat in.

Andrew took a sip of his beer, looking far too refined even with the simple t-shirt and jeans he still wore. “It’s a lot to live up to, I’ll say that. It’s hard to describe exactly how it feels, to be honest. It’s exciting, but it makes me nervous all at the same time; if I don’t do a good enough job in this role then the whole series could be over.”

Norman longed to reach across the table, clasp Andrew’s hand in his own, and run his thumb soothingly over the other man’s knuckles, but he refrained with some effort. “You’re a great actor, Andrew. I’m sure you’ll be great, and the fans will love you.”

Andrew glanced up over the lip of his bottle, his eyes meeting Norman’s, and his lips curved up in a soft smile of gratitude. This man before him seemed to make him nervous just by looking at him with such kind eyes.

“Thanks, Norman. I’m sure they’ll love you, too. How does it feel to play a rough-and-tumble redneck?” Andrew chuckled lightly, downing the rest of his beer in one swift gulp.

Norman laughed as he finished his own drink. “Doesn’t feel much different than some of my other roles, if I’m being honest with us both. At least Daryl seems to have a good side, buried somewhere under the dirt and grime.”

They lapsed into an awkward sort of silence then, and Andrew ordered up another round for them both. And at that moment they were both thinking the same thing: _I wonder how he’d react if I kissed him._

~ ~ ~

Sean couldn’t get to sleep. He tossed and turned, throwing the blankets off of himself one second only to put them back on the next. He just couldn’t seem to get Norman off his mind, and he’d give anything just to get a text from him at that moment, no matter what it said.

Sean grabbed his phone off the bedside table, checking through the messages he’d already read a hundred times. The time read one in the morning.

He huffed in frustration, throwing his phone down on the pillow beside his, his mind filling with the memories of the night before. He could swear he could still smell Norman’s cologne and shampoo lingering on the pillowcase and mattress cover, and that certainly wasn’t helping to calm him down any.

All the horrible what-if’s ran through Sean’s head now, playing out gruesomely behind his eyelids.

What if Norman had been in some kind of accident? He pictured the plane going down in a plume of smoke and flame, imagining what Norman’s final thought would have been, and wondering if it would have been about him. Though he would have heard about a plane crash by now, especially if it had a lot of injuries or fatalities. A car accident then; that seemed much more plausible, anyway, and it’s not like news of a car accident in Georgia would have made its way to California. But what if that’s what had happened? What if Norman had calmly slid into a taxi, resting his suitcase on the seat beside him and curling his arms around the kitty carrier that was surely in his lap, and then the driver had shouted, unable to stop in time to avoid some kind of collision? Or maybe there wasn’t a scream at all, except possibly from Norman, because a semi had crashed into them from the side, the impact rolling from Norman’s door, into his seat, and then affecting his body. He would have tried to protect his cat before he’d try to save himself, that much was certainly true, and they would probably both have perished in that case.

No, of course nothing like that had happened. That was too horrible to think about, too awful to be real, and so it simply wasn’t.

What if he was on a date with someone else, then? Sean had seen pictures of the cast, and some of them he knew personally. The women were pretty enough, the men even better, and it’s not like they were a steady enough couple to keep Norman’s eyes from wandering. Maybe he was in the back of some bar right now, maybe even with that Andrew fellow, pounding back beers and laughing in that soul-brightening way he had, and making them fall in love with him the way Sean had fallen in love with him.

That brought on a whole other problem to worry over. Why hadn’t Sean just told Norman he was in love with him before he left? It would have been so easy, as Norman stood in the threshold, bag and cat in hand, to just spit out those four words to choke upon. “Norman, I love you.” How hard would that really have been to say? Because, let’s face it, Sean was hopelessly head-over-heels in love with Norman, and no matter how many jokes he covered it up with that truth would never change.

Sean scrubbed his hands over his face, grinding his palms into his eyes almost to the point of pain, and sighed in frustration at himself. Sure, he’d said something about loving Norman the night before, but he’d been pretty drunk then, and Norman was sure to think it was just the alcohol talking. He’d been calling the guy ‘Murphy’ for Christ’s sake. So in Norman’s mind it was probably just another of Sean’s silly whiskey lullabies that he whispered in the dead of night when the alcohol riddled his brain to near incoherency. So many stupid mistakes and missed opportunities that he had no way to fix and could never get back.

“What if he doesn’t love me back, Donut? What if he is out with someone else?” Sean propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at his dog with expectancy, as if the animal would really answer.

Donut gazed back at Sean, a soft sort of sadness in his eyes, and licked his master’s hand before resting his head close to Sean’s arm, hoping for an ear rub in return. Sean obliged, scratching Donut’s left ear and smiling at how the dog’s eyes closed in sleepy happiness.

Sean would call Norman tomorrow, make sure everything was ok. Telling himself that was all he could do to fall asleep.

~ ~ ~

It was four in the morning, Georgian time, and Andrew and Norman sat on the bed in Andrew’s hotel room. Perhaps it was fate that they were put up in the same hotel, and had to only take the one taxi, because when Andrew asked Norman if he wanted to come back to his room and have a few more drinks, Norman almost declined, and probably would have successfully turned the man down if they’d had to go in different directions.

Now they were flipping aimlessly through the hotel’s TV channels, finding absolutely nothing of interest, and sitting awkwardly next to each other on the small mattress. The close proximity wasn’t good for either of them, considering they both had very strong urges to do naughty, and most likely unwelcome, things to the other.

“Well, it’s pretty late. I should get back to my room.” Norman slid uncomfortably off the bed and made his way toward the door, Andrew following along behind him.

Norman opened the door, starting to pass through the threshold, then turned back for a moment. Andrew was right there, his face only a few inches from Norman’s. It would be so easy to close that small distance and press their lips together.

“So… I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow, then.” Andrew spoke up, his British accent faltering over his words.

Norman nodded, feeling a blush rising into his cheeks, and hoped it wasn’t too noticeable the way he kept staring at the other man’s lips.

Andrew did notice, though, and in his somewhat buzzed mind that was a good enough invitation for him. He leaned forward just enough to gently press his lips to Norman’s, hoping and praying for a better response than a pull back, or punch to the jaw. Luck was with Andrew that day, for instead of doing either of those things Norman kissed back, his lips moving in a smooth rhythm against Andrew’s.

Andrew thanked his lucky stars as he slowly pulled Norman back into the room, into his cautious embrace. His last coherent thought of the night was _This is a nice change, even though I’m usually so straight._ Norman decided not to go back to his room after all.


	4. Breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much shorter than I hoped it would be, but I really wanted to try and delve into Sean's psyche and see how he's dealing with everything.   
> Enjoy.

Sean woke late, blinking the sleep from his eyes, and with their opening his dreams. He couldn’t remember much of what he had dreamt, though he was certain it had been of Norman.

_Norman._

The tidal wave of memories from the night before flooded his mind again, and he eagerly checked his phone; no new texts, no new emails, no missed calls. He let the phone slip from his fingers, dropping once more onto the pillow next to him, and groggily pulled himself out of bed.

Sean didn’t have anything to do that day, aside from worry about his love life, and decided to just laze around on the couch watching TV after he took Donut for a walk. He left his phone plugged into its charger, since it hadn’t had the chance to regain power the night before, as he took Donut for a brisk stroll around the block.

Once the dog was walked to its satisfaction, its tummy full of dog-food breakfast, Sean checked his phone again. There was still nothing new waiting for him.

 _Maybe I should just call him now._ Sean mused, figuring it was late enough over in Georgia for Norman to be up and about.

He dialed in the number and put the phone to his ear, his fingers drumming nervously on the bedside table.

 _Hey, it’s Norman. Sorry I couldn’t answer your call, but if you leave me a message I’ll return it real soon._ There was the tell-tale beep that allowed Sean to start speaking, but all his words were caught in his throat; the phone hadn’t even rung once, it had just gone straight to voicemail.

 _He probably forgot to plug his phone in again, just like I did. Or maybe he’s just busy on set right now. It’s nothing to worry about._ But even with his own pathetic attempts to comfort himself, Sean worried. Sean wondered, again, if Norman had been in an accident, if he was hurt. He banished those thoughts, trying to skip over the image of Norman out with one of his cast-mates, but it filled his mind.

No, Norman wasn’t like that. He wouldn’t just chase after another pretty face just because he was in a different city, away from Sean. But Sean would do that; he had done it before, even, though he’d never had any intentions of getting serious with the other person. Still, Norman had been hurt by it, regardless of the fact that they still weren’t really a couple. Maybe Norman would do that, then, because Sean had done it. Maybe Norman would do it to get even, make Sean hurt the way he hurt. Or maybe he would justify it, thinking that it wouldn’t really be a problem considering the fact that Sean had done it before. And Sean didn’t have a leg to stand on in that argument, lest he be labeled a hypocrite.

Sean plopped on the couch, letting his head fall in his hands, tears springing into his eyes. It wasn’t like him to get so emotional, especially not over someone he wasn’t even officially dating, but Norman was different than just a fling or a fuck buddy. The only problem here was that Sean didn’t know how to tell Norman that.

Norman had tried before to get Sean to go steady with him, hadn’t he? And what had Sean done but push the poor man away and make some stupid joke about commitments and homosexual couples; typical Sean rearing its ugly head again. So what would Sean say to Norman now that wouldn’t make him sound like a fool? Nothing. Absolutely nothing would make Norman take him seriously about the matter, not even a real proposal with a ring and everything.

If Sean were being honest with himself, he knew that he didn’t deserve Norman. He was a crass, usually drunk, asshole who didn’t treat Norman the way he should be treated. But Norman always came back, and if that wasn’t proof that Norman still cared for Sean, somewhere deep in his heart, then Sean didn’t know what was.

Sean had to talk to Norman, had to at least hear his voice, right that second. Norman would answer the phone and Sean would pour his heart out to the man, and let the chips fall where they may. He dialed Norman’s number once more, rocking anxiously back and forth on the couch cushion.

_Hey, it’s Norman…_

Voicemail again. Still no rings to precede it.

~ ~ ~

That night as Sean tossed and turned his way through fitful sleep, his phone received a text message from Norman.

_Sorry, I’ve been hanging out with Andrew lately, and forgot to charge my phone._


	5. I Miss Missing You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took me so long to write up and post. I just had to work through a few hurdles with this fic and sort everything out in my head.   
> So now let's see what's going on in Norman's head.

Norman pulled the one comfy chair in his hotel room to his bedside, leaning back and propping his feet up on the mattress. It was an odd position, that was certain, but it really helped stretch his back out after a long day of working on set, and spending time with Andrew, of course.

He had plugged his phone’s charger into the outlet beside the bed and pulled it over the dresser so that he could charge his phone while he relaxed. He’d forgotten to do that the first night, and his phone had been dead for at least twenty-four hours; he was sure he wouldn’t have any important notifications waiting for him, but he still felt uncomfortable not knowing if someone had needed to get a hold of him.

A jingle sounded as the phone turned on, the touch screen glowing white, and then his homepage came into view. He sighed when he saw that he had two missed calls from Sean. There were no real voicemails, though on one slightly long message he thought he heard Sean choking back tears. So it could have just been a misdial or two; it wouldn’t have been the first time Sean had accidentally called him because his phone shifted the wrong way in his pocket. But something about the way Sean was breathing in that first message made Norman think that something was really wrong.

Norman contemplated calling Sean, but thought it would be too late at night for a phone call, and opted to text him instead.

_Sorry, I’ve been hanging out with Andrew lately, and forgot to charge my phone._

There, that was simple enough to at least let Sean know that he was alright, in case the man was suffering through some of his paranoid delusions again; Sean always did get worried before either of them got on a flight.

Thinking about Sean’s little quirks, like his worrisome manner with planes, brought a small smile to Norman’s face. The way Sean always called him right after he landed, and usually demanded that Norman do the same, was sweet, in its way; it let Norman know that Sean cared about what happened to him, and showed that Sean knew that Norman cared for him, too.

Usually with an onslaught of memories came the feeling of emptiness deep in Norman’s chest, kind of like homesickness and loneliness combined. This time, though, there was nothing fluttering inside Norman save the pride he felt in a day’s shoot well done, and a satisfaction at the make-out session he and Andrew had snuck in during one of the breaks. Norman couldn’t say he really missed that sorrow that accompanied his leaving Sean, but he did miss the way he would _miss Sean_ when they were away from each other.

Norman always thought it was normal to miss Sean; after all, he was in love with the man. But it had brought a pain with it that Norman could do without for the rest of his life. Maybe it was the pain of knowing that Sean was probably out getting drunk with someone else, some Dupe or Dame he’d picked up in a club or something; that had happened before, quite a few times, and it was always a worry of Norman’s that he’d come back to Sean’s apartment to find him cuddling up to someone else, and Norman would be alone again.

After he and Helena had split up Sean was the one to pick up the pieces of Norman’s broken soul and glue them all back together, good as new. Sean was always there for him, letting him cry when he needed to, or rant and rave and cuss the bitch out to high heaven, or just get drunk with him and start a party in his pants if that’s what he really wanted. Norman trusted the man completely, even though that trust had been broken on one too many occasions.

Norman could still remember the first time it happened, clear as a bell. He’d been filming some indie movie or another, one he couldn’t remember the name of now, and Sean had texted him to tell him about some blonde he’d met at his favorite bar. He said, in no uncertain terms, that they’d done the do a time or two, and Norman felt like his heart had been cut right out of his chest. He had no delusions about he and Sean being a real couple, but Sean had only shown interest in him, and he kind of thought it had meant something more.  Norman didn’t have much right to be angry with Sean about it, considering they weren’t even an established couple, but he couldn’t help but feel hurt by Sean’s actions, and Sean had promised Norman it would never happen again, but in the end it had happened again and Norman kept his distance from Sean for a while after.

Norman shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts of the depressing memories. He was doing the same thing to Sean now, with Andrew, so he had no reason to complain; he was just as tainted as the man he loved; perhaps that made them equals now.

What was it about Andrew that Norman liked so much anyway? Maybe it was his soft British accent, the way it made everything he said sound sophisticated and elegant. Maybe it was the fact that he liked Norman for more than his body. Andrew had been the one to make the first move, the one to try and find out who Norman was as a person before anything else. And sure, Andrew had made the first move physical-wise, too, but had Norman pulled away Andrew certainly would have stopped right there, bid Norman goodnight, and never said another word about the encounter.

Andrew treated Norman the way that Sean didn’t. That wasn’t to say that Sean wasn’t sweet and loving when he wanted to be, but Andrew was a gentleman through and through. And truth be told, Norman felt so comfortable around Andrew, like they’d known each other since birth. And, of course, the sex was pretty great, too.

Still, Norman loved Sean, and he felt guilty that he didn’t miss Sean like he usually did. He missed missing him that way, because it confirmed just how much he loved the man. Now, though, being devoid of such an emotion just worked to confuse him.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d think he was falling for Andrew.

**Author's Note:**

> If you know me, you know I love getting feedback on my work, whether it be good or bad. No matter what your thoughts are on my work, please share them with me; they help me grow as a writer and be all that I can be for all of you.  
> Kudos would be appreciated as well.  
> Thanks for reading my work.
> 
> Update: Because I have currently started work on my first novel and already have quite a few people supporting me, someone suggested I set up a newsletter about the book.   
> It'd be mostly updates about the writing process, quotes from the book, and in the future updates about publication and when it'll be available for purchase.  
> The newsletter will be a mass email sent out roughly once a week. So if you're interested in being a part of this you can send me an email at chayne43571@gmail.com, where the newsletter will be sent from, or you can message me here or at my tumblr (insanechayne.tumblr.com) with the email address you'd like me to send the letter to.   
> Thank you for your support!


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